I wanted to wait until LJ was working better before posting this, as it is a little bit picture heavy. :P But here it is, my year in photos.

January

A family holiday to Spain to see my Granny; Ben also came with us, so I was able to show him around. :) I took this photo of my little brother after he, Ben and I climbed the 332m high Ifach Rock (the plug of an extinct volcano). I actually gave him a poster sized version of this photo for Christmas!

Cash was still a riding horse...

He was so good even I could ride him!

Beatrice was still able to be ridden, too.

February

In February we had first snow! Pepsi approved.

...Although later it did seem to have a weird effect on her.

Steph came to visit Cash.

Ben worked with Carolina, who was a little bit scary at times.

March

Jen and I made the most of the lengthening days and went riding after work, at least once a week.

Ben was working with William, who in the end was beyond even his skill.

I helped out at the Shire Horse Show, as is traditional by now. :)

April

Ben came to ride Beatrice; she was a little bit more of a handful then either of us were expecting!

Ellie rode Beatrice, too...

...and began riding Pepsi regularly, too. :)

Cash stopped being a riding horse...

Ben and I went adventuring (this is taken on top of a neolithic hill fort).

May

Jen and I went to Austria! We stayed here, in the village of Brandenburg.

I put a big tick in my life experiences box, after we did a musical ride in the grounds of Burghley house.

Ellie was still riding Pepsi most weeks - Pepsi loved this.

Ben moved his horses to a new yard and Zorro came off boxrest before, unfortunately, having to go back on it again.

June

I met Dinky (not shown) and Flash for the first time; my original caption on this photo was "I liked the little chestnut, it was being really annoying". :P

Ellie and Jen rode out together a few times; we had great fun.

My mate Debbie came to ride Bea; on the way home, Bea bolted with her. I have never been more terrified in my life. XD

I began helping out with the Shires after work, too; this was one of the horses they had in for breaking over the summer.

We did a musical ride near Winchester, and stayed overnight on the best yard ever.

Flash and Dinky came to live with me! It was a lot of hard work - I had four horses to look after, as well as a full time job - but it really was one of the best summers I've ever had. I loved having my own little herd.

Flash stole my heart.

July

Bea moved into the big field; Harry came to stay; Harry fell in love with Bea FOREVER.

I was still helping to exercise the Shires.

Ellie was riding Peps...

...my youngest cousin was riding Peps...

...I was riding Peps...

...and I started riding Flash, too!

Ross Jacobs came over to teach several clinics; Ben took Cash along. I liked Ross a lot, and thought he talked a lot of sense.

August

Ben met Flash, and did some work with him.

I rode Flash outside the field for the first time.

Pepsi turned 28!

I groomed at a wedding in Wansford.

I left work; my team bought me Bulmerhoe, my bullfrog, as a leaving present.

Ben and I walked along the South Downs and did not get lost.

September

I turned 26! Jen and Kala came round after work with cakes and presents. The pub didn't open 'til 6pm, so we bought beer from the village shop and drank it in the sunshine on the village green. WITHOUT SHAME. :)

The next day, Jen and I went into Peterborough because the museum had a Viking exhibition on and it my goddamn birthday outing. We also discovered a lot of hats and played dress-up all day long...

I went to see the cross country at Burghley Horse Trials.

And the Paralympic dressage in London.

Training started for the Lord Mayor's Show.

We had a mini 'show' at Sacrewell Farm, and Magic - Beatrice's daughter, here aged 1 year and 3 months - was shown for the first time.

I moved to Surrey to live with Ben; Dinky and Flash went to live in the big field until new owners were found, as I had only been looking after them until they were sold. Everyone picked on Stanley.

October

I went back and forth between Surrey and Cambridgeshire, to help with the Shires; the horses left the big field until next summer, so the Shires were used to harrow it.

Lord Mayor's practice continued.

The Shires took part in the Halloween extravaganza at Sacrewell Farm; I didn't ride in it this year, because I thought I had to get back to Surrey ... but ended up going home a day later, so came along as groom and took photos instead.

I got my mice!

Last musical ride of the year (I haven't included photos from all of them): I rode Bobbie, who was lovely.

November

I started going over to Sussex every week to ride Bob!

Zorro came off boxrest, and was allowed to go out in a small paddock - he found this very exciting...

Ben also sold his house and we moved in with his parents while our new place was sorted, but I don't have any photos for that...

December

Ben's parents went on holiday for a week, so we looked after their dog, Pippa.

Cash got slightly closer to being a riding horse again...

The Shires were at Olympia! :D

I went home for Christmas, and rode Pepsi out on Christmas day.

Ben bought me a first edition of The Sea Wolf, my favourite book of all time. <3

Well, I only actually own one horse - Pepsi. But she doesn't live with me at the moment. :(

My mum owns Beatrice (who is kept at the same place Pepsi is), and my boyfriend owns Zorro and Cash.

Then there are the Shires, who belong to Waldburg Shires; I just work for them occasionally.

Cash isn't a riding horse because he's not very smart, and he's not very brave, and he often forgets basic things ... like the fact that he's ever worn a saddle or carried a rider before. *shrug* My boyfriend spent some time re-backing him, then got on and was violently bucked off twice, the second time into a fence. He was very lucky to avoid serious injury and, sensibly, hasn't been back on since. Cash's back and tack has been checked etc.; he's just a bit retarded.